Friday, February 12, 2016

Infiniti Debuts Three All-New Engines for Q50, We Snag Details

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Although we’ve already had a good first peek at the biggest mid-cycle change for the 2016 Infiniti Q50—three new turbocharged engine options—the company used the 2016 Chicago auto show to sprinkle a little more information on our plates. The centerpiece of the updated Q50 is the all-new VR30 3.0-liter V-6 with twin turbochargers and direct fuel injection, which produces 300 horsepower in the Q50 3.0t and a full 400 in the range-topping Q50 Red Sport 400. Infiniti says maximum boost will be as high as 14.5 psi in the 400, with peak power for both engines occurring at 6400 rpm. The engine’s hearty torque outputs—295 lb-ft in the 3.0t and 350 for the Red Sport—are on tap from 1600 to 5200 rpm.

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Aside from different engine mounts and tuning setups, greater flow capacity for the 400’s intercoolers, and an optical speed sensor for the more powerful version’s turbochargers, both mills are virtually the same internally. Infiniti says it still has more technical specifics to share closer to the updated Q50’s launch this spring, but you can read a more detailed analysis of the new VR-series here.

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The other new engine for the Q50 is a longitudinal 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder developing 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, which unsurprisingly will be badged as the 2.0t. Also found in Infiniti’s new QX30 crossover, albeit mounted in a transverse configuration, this entry-level engine stems from the brand’s tie-up with Mercedes-Benz and can be found in the German brand’s GLA-class crossover, which also shares a basic architecture with the QX30. Also still available is the Q50 hybrid, which continues to pair the previous VQ-series 3.5-liter V-6 with an electric motor for a total of 360 ponies. All four of the 2016 Q50’s powerplants come mated to a standard seven-speed automatic transmission and are available with either front- or all-wheel drive.

We’ll get our first impressions of the 2016 Q50 soon when the 2.0t version hits the streets in late winter, followed by the hot-rod Red Sport 400 later in spring. The volume 3.0t model likely won’t be available until midsummer, but by then we should already have a good idea of how well the changes have worked out for Infiniti’s core sports sedan.